Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella showcased the tech giant's new Windows PC category, Copilot+ PCs, which promises to "unleash the power of distributed AI across the edge" and bring AI power from the cloud to devices – comparing the release to when 32-bit Windows revolutionized the PC market.
The Redmond, Wash.-based tech giant has worked with chip companies including AMD, Intel and Qualcomm and computer makers including Dell, Asus and Lenovo to bring the Copilot+ PCs to market. Microsoft opened pre-orders Monday for the devices, which start at $999 and become available June 18.
"We are bringing real joy and a sense of wonder back to creation on the PC," Nadella told the crowd. "The pursuit has always been about how to build computers that understand us, instead of us having to understand computers, and I feel like we really are close to that real breakthrough. … We're entering this new era where computers not only understand us but can actually anticipate what we want and our intents."
Microsoft Copilot+ PC
Nadella said that these new AI devices "turn the world itself into a product," combining the cloud and edge to deliver AI experiences without power, latency and other issues.
"The web was born on Windows, we are again creating a new opportunity across our entire ecosystem as we build this new category together," Nadella said.
Yusuf Mehdi, Microsoft executive vice president and consumer chief marketing officer, made multiple comparisons for Copilot+ PC against Macbook equivalents, calling the $999 price tag more affordable and 58 percent faster.
CRN has reached out to Apple for comment.
This article originally appeared on CRN.
